As motor vehicles become more sophisticated, the ability to detect faults in the operating condition of the motor vehicle has become more advanced. Motor vehicles currently use computer technology to control and monitor the performance of an engine. When a fault occurs in engine performance, a diagnostic trouble code is generated and an indication that a fault has occurred is provided to the driver, either via a short message or illumination of a “Check Engine” light on the vehicle dashboard. The driver of the vehicle then proceeds to a repair facility where a technician can access the vehicle computer and determine which diagnostic trouble code has been generated in order to determine what repairs are necessary to the vehicle. There are currently over 16,500 diagnostic trouble codes defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Some are generic codes and others are codes specific to particular automobile manufacturer.
A major drawback of current technology is that there is little ability for the owner or operator of the vehicle to determine either the severity of the fault or the corrective action that should be taken to remedy the fault.
The present invention was developed in order to provide a uniform translation of diagnostic trouble codes and provide a message to the vehicle operator in a form suitable for the operator to understand the nature and severity of the fault and take the appropriate action.